Supporting structure for a front-end module of a motor vehicle and front-end module comprising said supporting structure

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a supporting structure ( 10 ) for a front-end module of a motor vehicle, said supporting structure ( 10 ) comprising a lower crossmember ( 12 ), a first side post ( 14 ), a second side post ( 16 ) and an upper crossmember ( 18 ) so as to define a frame, said upper crossmember ( 18 ) being made of a hybrid material comprising a plastic material and a metal material. The invention also relates to a front-end module comprising one such supporting structure ( 10 ).

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a front end module for a motor vehicleand, more specifically, to a supporting structure suited to such a frontend module.

PRIOR ART

In general, within a motor vehicle, a front end module is a structuralelement intended to contain a plurality of devices necessary to theoperation of the motor vehicle, such as headlamps or heat exchangers. Atthe end of the production of a front end module, the latter may beassembled directly onto the motor vehicle, notably with elements of thechassis of the motor vehicle such as the longitudinal side rail members.The front end module may also be mounted on the motor vehicle byassembling it with a front bumper or frontal panel.

In the known way, the front end module comprises a supporting structureintended to accept the devices necessary for the operation of the motorvehicle, and a bumper beam to protect said devices in a frontalcollision between a pedestrian and the motor vehicle. The supportingstructure of the front end module comprises various components joinedtogether. Thus, the supporting structure comprises a lower crossmember,lateral uprights for said lower crossmember, an upper crossmemberdesigned to be fixed to the top of the lateral uprights and reinforcingarms fixed to the ends of the upper crossmember and/or to the lateraluprights.

In general, such a supporting structure is made entirely from a strongmaterial such as steel, so as to comply with the standards laid down byautomotive safety legislation in a frontal collision between apedestrian and a motor vehicle. However, such a supporting structurerepresents a not-insignificant weight within the motor vehicle andcauses a high fuel consumption and a high level of carbon dioxide (CO2)emissions.

It has therefore proved necessary to improve the design of a front endmodule supporting structure according to the prior art in order tooptimize the operation of the motor vehicle while at the same timeconforming to the standards relating to motor vehicle safetylegislation.

SUBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The front end module support and the front end module comprising saidsupport according to the present invention seek to overcome theabovementioned disadvantages.

Thus, a first subject of the invention relates to a supporting structurefor a motor vehicle front end module, said supporting structurecomprising a lower crossmember, a first lateral upright, a secondlateral upright and an upper crossmember so as to define a frame, saidupper crossmember being formed of a hybrid material comprising aplastics material and a metallic material. In other words, the uprightsare arranged in such a way as to join the crossmembers together.

Advantageously, the upper crossmember comprises an insert made from ametallic material and covered with a plastics material.

Advantageously, the supporting structure comprises a support wing fixedto one end of the upper crossmember.

Advantageously, the support wing is made of a metallic material.

Advantageously, the supporting structure comprises a support piece forconnecting said support wing to the supporting structure.

Advantageously, the support piece comprises an insert made of a hybridmaterial comprising a plastics material and a metallic material.

A second subject of the invention relates to a front end modulecomprising a supporting structure according to the features hereinabove.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The objects, subject matter and features of the present invention andthe advantages thereof will become more clearly apparent from readingthe following description of some preferred embodiments of the inventionwhich is given with reference to the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows an exploded perspective view of a supporting structure fora front end module, according to a first embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 2 shows an assembled and perspective view of the supportingstructure according to FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 shows a front view of the supporting structure according to FIG.1,

FIG. 4 shows a front view of a support wing fixed to part of the frontend module supporting structure according to one embodiment of thepresent invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

The following detailed description is aimed at explaining the inventionin a manner that is sufficiently clear and complete, notably usingexamples, but must not be considered to limit the scope of protection tothe particular embodiments and examples set out hereinbelow.

FIG. 1 shows a supporting structure 10 for a front end module (notshown) of a motor vehicle. The supporting structure 10 comprises a lowercrossmember 12, a first lateral upright 14, a second lateral upright 16and an upper crossmember 18 which are assembled by means of connections,such as screws, to form a closed structure. The lower crossmember 12,the first lateral upright 14 and the second lateral upright 16 are madeentirely from a plastics material, such as 40% long-strand glass fiberreinforced polypropylene. Thus, the supporting structure 10 is, inrelative terms, more lightweight than a supporting structure accordingto the prior art. The upper crossmember 18 comprises an insert (notshown) of tubular shape, for example, made from a metallic material,such as steel, and covered, by the end of an overmolding process, with aplastics material such as polypropylene with a 40% content oflong-strand glass fiber reinforcing fibers. The upper crossmember 18therefore comprises a hybrid material formed of a metallic material andof a plastics material. The dimensions of the insert are determined insuch a way that the level of stiffness and strength of the supportingstructure 10 complies with the standards laid down by automotive safetylegislation for a frontal collision between a motor vehicle and apedestrian. The insert may constitute either the entirety or just partof the upper crossmember 18. The insert thus incorporated into the uppercrossmember 18 also acts as a reinforcing plate to prevent the hood ofthe motor vehicle from springing open in a frontal impact between themotor vehicle and a pedestrian. The supporting structure 10 alsocomprises a first support wing 20 and a second support wing 22 which areshown in FIG. 1. The first and second support wings 20, 22 are designedto be connected to each end of the upper crossmember 18 by means ofconnections such as screws. The first and second support wings 20, 22may be formed using a pressing method, from a material such as aluminumor steel.

FIG. 2 shows the supporting structure 10 according to the firstembodiment of the invention, with the first and second support wings 20,22 assembled on the upper crossmember 18.

FIG. 3 shows a face-on view of the supporting structure 10 assembledwith the first and second support wings 20, 22.

FIG. 4 shows in detail the connection between the first support wing 20,shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, and a portion (shown in part) of thesupporting structure 10. As shown in FIG. 4, the first support wing 20may comprise a support piece 24, for connecting said first support wing20 to the supporting structure 10 by means of a connecting element 25.The support piece 24 may be produced by means of an insert made from ametallic material and covered, by the end of an overmolding process,with a plastics material.

The second support wing 22 is connected to the supporting structure 10in a similar way to the first support wing 20, by means of a supportpiece (not shown) and of a connecting element (not shown).

Thus, the supporting structure 10 may comprise, on the one hand, ametallic insert located within the upper crossmember 18 and, on theother hand, a metallic insert located in the support piece 24 for theconnecting of the first support wing 20 and a metallic insert located inthe support part of the second support wing 22. Thus, the presence ofall the metallic inserts guarantees the supporting structure 10 a levelof stiffness and strength on the one hand in the region of the uppercrossmember 18 and, on the other, in the region of the fixing of thefirst and second support wing 20, 22.

The supporting structure 10 thus formed has a weight that is reduced bythe order of 30 to 40% in comparison with the weight of a supportingstructure according to the prior art. Thus, the supporting structure 10according to the present invention makes it possible to reduce the fuelconsumption of the motor vehicle and, therefore, to reduce the carbondioxide (CO2) emissions.

The supporting structure 10 according to the present invention thereforemakes it possible to combine relative stiffness with regard toprotecting a pedestrian in the event of a frontal impact with relativeflexibility to absorb any vibration that might be experienced by thedevices within the front end module when the motor vehicle is movingalong. In addition, a supporting structure according to the inventionrequires a limited number of steps in its manufacture as compared withthe number of steps needed to manufacture an all-metallic supportingstructure according to the state of the art.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A supporting structure for a motor vehiclefront end module, comprising: a lower crossmember; a first lateralupright; a second lateral upright; an upper crossmember that defines aframe, said upper crossmember being formed of a hybrid materialcomprising a plastics material and a metallic material; a support wingfixed to one end of the upper crossmember; and a support piece forconnecting the support wing to the upper crossmember, the support piececomprising an insert made of a hybrid material comprising a plasticsmaterial and a metallic material, wherein the lower crossmember, thefirst lateral upright, and the second lateral upright are made entirelyfrom a plastics material.
 2. The supporting structure as claimed inclaim 1, wherein the upper crossmember comprises an insert made from ametallic material and covered with a plastics material.
 3. Thesupporting structure as claimed in claim 1, the support wing being madeof a metallic material.
 4. A front end module of a motor vehiclecomprising: a supporting structure comprising: a lower crossmember; afirst lateral upright; a second lateral upright; an upper crossmemberthat defines a frame, said upper crossmember being formed of a hybridmaterial comprising a plastics material and a metallic material; asupport wing fixed to one end of the upper crossmember; and a supportpiece for connecting the support wing to the upper crossmember, thesupport piece comprising an insert made of a hybrid material comprisinga plastics material and a metallic material, wherein the lowercrossmember, the first lateral upright, and the second lateral uprightare made entirely from a plastics material.
 5. The supporting structureas claimed in claim 1, wherein the plastics material isfiber-reinforced.